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ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the October 1,, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from siberian_skys, chanter1944, dannydevidaloca, and fuzzyred. It also fills the "shapeshifter" square in my 10-1-24 card for the Fall Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Officer Pink thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
"The Twin Cornerstones of a Civilized Society"
[Monday, August 20, 2012]
Fracta trotted up the steps to
the Mullins Library, her backpack
bouncing on her shoulders and
her rainbow hair fluttering free.
Inside, it was cool and mostly quiet,
the carpeting matted underneath,
most of the walls and ceilings also
covered with acoustic fiberboard
to break up and absorb sound.
The spiral staircase swirled upward,
and Fracta slowed down to avoid
thumping her way up the steps.
As she reached the top, she
trailed a hand along the door
to the quiet room, but she
didn't go inside it today.
The fourth floor held
the administrative offices,
conference rooms, large
and small study rooms,
multimedia room, and
a couple of classrooms.
Couches, tables and chairs,
study booths, and carrels
filled in the wide spaces
between the rooms and
the rows of bookshelves.
Most of the books belonged
to the Fine Arts, Music, or
Reference collections.
With most day classes
over, the study areas were
filling up with students who
wanted a head start on reading.
"So how was your first day of
college?" said a familiar voice.
Smiling, Fracta turned around
to see Barnaby Haden, who was
Assistant Dean of University Libraries.
"It was ... okay-ish," said Fracta. "I'm
still antsy, but I got through everything,
so I guess that's an accomplishment."
"You look happy to be here, at least,"
said Mr. Haden. "That's a good thing."
"What a place to be in is an old library!"
said Fracta as she took a deep breath
of the vanilla-spiced air. "It feels as
though all the souls of the writers that
have bequeathed their labors were
reposing here as in some dormitory."
"That's a colorful way of putting it,"
said Mr. Haden. "Just like you."
"I read it in a book somewhere,"
Fracta said, stroking the shelves.
"I seem to inhale learning, walking
amid their foliage. The odor of
their old moth-scented coverings
is as fragrant as the first bloom
of the sciential apples which
grew amid the happy orchard."
"I feel much the same way,"
said Mr. Haden. "Just coming
here always makes me happy."
"Well, you should, since
you work here," said Fracta.
"It would suck if you didn't
enjoy doing it, because all
of these students make
a lot of work for librarians."
"Schools and libraries are
the twin cornerstones of
a civilized society," he said.
"Libraries are only good if
people use them, like books
only exist when someone reads
them. Schools are only good
when the students pay attention."
"Or try to pay attention," said Fracta.
"I did my best, but today was hard."
"Do you want to come back to
my office?" Mr. Haden offered.
"Yes, please," Fracta said,
heaving a sigh of relief.
Getting there meant
walking clear through
the administrative section,
because the big offices
were way in the back.
The Dean had the rotunda
and the Assistant Dean had
the corner office, sharing
a bathroom between them.
Fracta liked the corner office
because it was mostly lined
with books, including a bunch
of rare ones behind glass.
One of the frames above
the built-in desk read:
Go ahead and ask me.
You are not bothering me.
I am a librarian: it's my job.
If I didn't like answering
questions, then I would
be an administrator.
"Do you need to stretch?"
Mr. Haden asked Fracta.
"Oh my gosh, yes!" she said.
"I feel like I've been holding
my breath for the whole day."
Fracta dropped her backpack
in a chair, but didn't bother with
her clothes; she just let them
slide into the odd otherwhere
along with her human shape.
The griffur yawned and
stretched like a cat, paws
kneading the Persian rug
and long plumed tail waving.
Her body was mostly shades
of turquoise tilting blue and
green, with swaths of lavender
and pink, plus a few bits of yellow
or red mostly on her large ears.
She stropped herself around
Mr. Haden's legs a few times.
Then Fracta launched into the air
and shifted to her macaw form.
This one had a green body with
blue wings and tail, touched by
scarlet on the face and tail.
She flapped around the room
a few times, then landed on
the back of the wooden chair.
"There now, I bet that feels
much better," said Mr. Haden.
Fracta stretched out a wing
and began preening herself.
Mr. Haden was one of
the very few people who
knew what she could do,
but it still surprised her
how well he knew her.
The day hadn't been bad,
really, just exhausting.
Mr. Haden reached over
and scratched behind
her head, the spot that
was always hard to reach.
Fracta chirred at him, nibbled
his fingers, then went back
to preening her wing tips.
Suddenly a door slammed.
Fracta burst into a cloud
of multicolored orchid bees.
They swirled around the room,
dazzling in their metallic colors.
Then they coalesced back
into her human form.
"You scared the skin
off me!" she scolded,
glaring at the boy.
Elton Monteverdi
was a little younger
than Fracta, but they
shared most classes.
He wore his headphones
draped around his neck,
either leftover after class
or because he planned
to study music later.
"Sorry," Elton said as
he rolled his wheelchair
to a stop. "I didn't mean
to drop the door like that."
"No big deal," said Fracta.
"I'm just a bit jumpy today."
"Yeah, no wonder," said Elton.
"I feel the same way. College
is exciting, but also kinda scary."
Fracta leaned against him, and
he wrapped an arm around her.
"It's a little easier when you
have friends, though," she said.
"I wouldn't be here if not for you. It
was thinking about sharing classes
with you that got me to agree to
this crazy college experiment."
"Why don't you two tell me
what you think of your classes,"
Mr. Haden invited. "Which one
do you like the best so far?"
"Read Everything in Sight,"
they chorused, then laughed.
"Yeah, that one is definitely
my favorite," said Fracta. "We
get to read literally anything -- I
love putting all the bits together
that I've read in different places.
Then we talk about it in class, and
it's extra credit if we pick up one
that another student read first."
"I expect that Fracta and I
will earn a lot of extra credit
that way," Elton said, smirking.
"What about the basics for
Generalist?" asked Mr. Haden.
"The intro class is okay, just not
very exciting yet," said Elton.
"I enjoyed College Research,"
said Fracta. "Critical Reasoning
seems pretty promising too."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to
the newspaper assignments
there," said Elton. "We'll be
picking a current issue, then
deriving what different systems
of ethics or philosophy would
say to do about it, to see if we
agree or disagree with that."
"I've always enjoyed that kind
of exercise," said Mr. Haden.
"What about the classes that
you're taking separately?"
"I love Intro to Library Studies,"
said Fracta. "It's just ... there
is so much to learn, it feels
overwhelming right now."
"I have faith in you,"
said Mr. Haden. "You'll
get the hang of it soon."
"Music and Society is cool,"
said Elton. "I like exploring
how people interact with songs."
"Practical Self-Defense is giving me
good ideas already," said Fracta. "I
want to learn how to handle threats
while staying in human form."
"Are you still sure that you can
hold it even if startled in class?"
said Mr. Haden. "That's tricky."
"I only startle like that when I'm
really threatened, or I'm somewhere
safe enough to let my guard down,"
said Fracta. "I'll be fine in class."
"Wheelchair Yoga's hard," said Elton.
"I am not a bendy bunny like the teacher."
Fracta giggled. "Maybe I'll draw that class
with everyone as anthropomorphic rabbits."
"You would have to draw me as a pika,
though," said Elton. "I'm not bendy at all."
"You can't be a pika, you're too long
and skinny for that," said Fracta.
"Pikas are round and chunky."
"Yeah, but that class is still
hard for me," Elton grumbled.
"Like how I find the library class
overwhelming, even though I
really like it," said Fracta. "I
don't know how to explain
it any better than that."
“Maybe this is why we
read, and why in moments
of darkness we return to books:
to find the words for what we
already know," said Elton.
"That's why I decided
on a Generalist major,"
said Fracta. "No matter
how scary or strange a topic,
I can always find a book about
it -- like when I read up on how
shapeshifting works, and then
practiced until I got it right."
Back in the beginning, she
didn't know enough about
anatomy or shapeshifting and
her power messed up her body.
That rarely happened anymore,
although she still hadn't figured out
how to make her digestion behave.
"Books are the power in the engine
of possibility," said Mr. Haden. "I'm
glad that you both have classes you're
enjoying, and some that challenge you."
"That's what college is all about,
expanding possibilities," said Elton.
"Yes," Fracta said with a nod. "I
want to learn all of the possibilities."
That was daunting, but also exciting,
and she felt like that was probably as
good a description of college as it got.
Even though today was nerve-wracking,
Fracta felt grateful that Mr. Haden had
finally talked her into enrolling here.
She wouldn't have missed it for the world.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character (Part 1: Fracta, Part 2: Barnaby Haden, Part 3: Elton Monteverdi), location, and content notes appear separately.
siberian_skys, chanter1944, dannydevidaloca, and fuzzyred. It also fills the "shapeshifter" square in my 10-1-24 card for the Fall Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Officer Pink thread of the Polychrome Heroics series."The Twin Cornerstones of a Civilized Society"
[Monday, August 20, 2012]
Fracta trotted up the steps to
the Mullins Library, her backpack
bouncing on her shoulders and
her rainbow hair fluttering free.
Inside, it was cool and mostly quiet,
the carpeting matted underneath,
most of the walls and ceilings also
covered with acoustic fiberboard
to break up and absorb sound.
The spiral staircase swirled upward,
and Fracta slowed down to avoid
thumping her way up the steps.
As she reached the top, she
trailed a hand along the door
to the quiet room, but she
didn't go inside it today.
The fourth floor held
the administrative offices,
conference rooms, large
and small study rooms,
multimedia room, and
a couple of classrooms.
Couches, tables and chairs,
study booths, and carrels
filled in the wide spaces
between the rooms and
the rows of bookshelves.
Most of the books belonged
to the Fine Arts, Music, or
Reference collections.
With most day classes
over, the study areas were
filling up with students who
wanted a head start on reading.
"So how was your first day of
college?" said a familiar voice.
Smiling, Fracta turned around
to see Barnaby Haden, who was
Assistant Dean of University Libraries.
"It was ... okay-ish," said Fracta. "I'm
still antsy, but I got through everything,
so I guess that's an accomplishment."
"You look happy to be here, at least,"
said Mr. Haden. "That's a good thing."
"What a place to be in is an old library!"
said Fracta as she took a deep breath
of the vanilla-spiced air. "It feels as
though all the souls of the writers that
have bequeathed their labors were
reposing here as in some dormitory."
"That's a colorful way of putting it,"
said Mr. Haden. "Just like you."
"I read it in a book somewhere,"
Fracta said, stroking the shelves.
"I seem to inhale learning, walking
amid their foliage. The odor of
their old moth-scented coverings
is as fragrant as the first bloom
of the sciential apples which
grew amid the happy orchard."
"I feel much the same way,"
said Mr. Haden. "Just coming
here always makes me happy."
"Well, you should, since
you work here," said Fracta.
"It would suck if you didn't
enjoy doing it, because all
of these students make
a lot of work for librarians."
"Schools and libraries are
the twin cornerstones of
a civilized society," he said.
"Libraries are only good if
people use them, like books
only exist when someone reads
them. Schools are only good
when the students pay attention."
"Or try to pay attention," said Fracta.
"I did my best, but today was hard."
"Do you want to come back to
my office?" Mr. Haden offered.
"Yes, please," Fracta said,
heaving a sigh of relief.
Getting there meant
walking clear through
the administrative section,
because the big offices
were way in the back.
The Dean had the rotunda
and the Assistant Dean had
the corner office, sharing
a bathroom between them.
Fracta liked the corner office
because it was mostly lined
with books, including a bunch
of rare ones behind glass.
One of the frames above
the built-in desk read:
Go ahead and ask me.
You are not bothering me.
I am a librarian: it's my job.
If I didn't like answering
questions, then I would
be an administrator.
"Do you need to stretch?"
Mr. Haden asked Fracta.
"Oh my gosh, yes!" she said.
"I feel like I've been holding
my breath for the whole day."
Fracta dropped her backpack
in a chair, but didn't bother with
her clothes; she just let them
slide into the odd otherwhere
along with her human shape.
The griffur yawned and
stretched like a cat, paws
kneading the Persian rug
and long plumed tail waving.
Her body was mostly shades
of turquoise tilting blue and
green, with swaths of lavender
and pink, plus a few bits of yellow
or red mostly on her large ears.
She stropped herself around
Mr. Haden's legs a few times.
Then Fracta launched into the air
and shifted to her macaw form.
This one had a green body with
blue wings and tail, touched by
scarlet on the face and tail.
She flapped around the room
a few times, then landed on
the back of the wooden chair.
"There now, I bet that feels
much better," said Mr. Haden.
Fracta stretched out a wing
and began preening herself.
Mr. Haden was one of
the very few people who
knew what she could do,
but it still surprised her
how well he knew her.
The day hadn't been bad,
really, just exhausting.
Mr. Haden reached over
and scratched behind
her head, the spot that
was always hard to reach.
Fracta chirred at him, nibbled
his fingers, then went back
to preening her wing tips.
Suddenly a door slammed.
Fracta burst into a cloud
of multicolored orchid bees.
They swirled around the room,
dazzling in their metallic colors.
Then they coalesced back
into her human form.
"You scared the skin
off me!" she scolded,
glaring at the boy.
Elton Monteverdi
was a little younger
than Fracta, but they
shared most classes.
He wore his headphones
draped around his neck,
either leftover after class
or because he planned
to study music later.
"Sorry," Elton said as
he rolled his wheelchair
to a stop. "I didn't mean
to drop the door like that."
"No big deal," said Fracta.
"I'm just a bit jumpy today."
"Yeah, no wonder," said Elton.
"I feel the same way. College
is exciting, but also kinda scary."
Fracta leaned against him, and
he wrapped an arm around her.
"It's a little easier when you
have friends, though," she said.
"I wouldn't be here if not for you. It
was thinking about sharing classes
with you that got me to agree to
this crazy college experiment."
"Why don't you two tell me
what you think of your classes,"
Mr. Haden invited. "Which one
do you like the best so far?"
"Read Everything in Sight,"
they chorused, then laughed.
"Yeah, that one is definitely
my favorite," said Fracta. "We
get to read literally anything -- I
love putting all the bits together
that I've read in different places.
Then we talk about it in class, and
it's extra credit if we pick up one
that another student read first."
"I expect that Fracta and I
will earn a lot of extra credit
that way," Elton said, smirking.
"What about the basics for
Generalist?" asked Mr. Haden.
"The intro class is okay, just not
very exciting yet," said Elton.
"I enjoyed College Research,"
said Fracta. "Critical Reasoning
seems pretty promising too."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to
the newspaper assignments
there," said Elton. "We'll be
picking a current issue, then
deriving what different systems
of ethics or philosophy would
say to do about it, to see if we
agree or disagree with that."
"I've always enjoyed that kind
of exercise," said Mr. Haden.
"What about the classes that
you're taking separately?"
"I love Intro to Library Studies,"
said Fracta. "It's just ... there
is so much to learn, it feels
overwhelming right now."
"I have faith in you,"
said Mr. Haden. "You'll
get the hang of it soon."
"Music and Society is cool,"
said Elton. "I like exploring
how people interact with songs."
"Practical Self-Defense is giving me
good ideas already," said Fracta. "I
want to learn how to handle threats
while staying in human form."
"Are you still sure that you can
hold it even if startled in class?"
said Mr. Haden. "That's tricky."
"I only startle like that when I'm
really threatened, or I'm somewhere
safe enough to let my guard down,"
said Fracta. "I'll be fine in class."
"Wheelchair Yoga's hard," said Elton.
"I am not a bendy bunny like the teacher."
Fracta giggled. "Maybe I'll draw that class
with everyone as anthropomorphic rabbits."
"You would have to draw me as a pika,
though," said Elton. "I'm not bendy at all."
"You can't be a pika, you're too long
and skinny for that," said Fracta.
"Pikas are round and chunky."
"Yeah, but that class is still
hard for me," Elton grumbled.
"Like how I find the library class
overwhelming, even though I
really like it," said Fracta. "I
don't know how to explain
it any better than that."
“Maybe this is why we
read, and why in moments
of darkness we return to books:
to find the words for what we
already know," said Elton.
"That's why I decided
on a Generalist major,"
said Fracta. "No matter
how scary or strange a topic,
I can always find a book about
it -- like when I read up on how
shapeshifting works, and then
practiced until I got it right."
Back in the beginning, she
didn't know enough about
anatomy or shapeshifting and
her power messed up her body.
That rarely happened anymore,
although she still hadn't figured out
how to make her digestion behave.
"Books are the power in the engine
of possibility," said Mr. Haden. "I'm
glad that you both have classes you're
enjoying, and some that challenge you."
"That's what college is all about,
expanding possibilities," said Elton.
"Yes," Fracta said with a nod. "I
want to learn all of the possibilities."
That was daunting, but also exciting,
and she felt like that was probably as
good a description of college as it got.
Even though today was nerve-wracking,
Fracta felt grateful that Mr. Haden had
finally talked her into enrolling here.
She wouldn't have missed it for the world.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character (Part 1: Fracta, Part 2: Barnaby Haden, Part 3: Elton Monteverdi), location, and content notes appear separately.
